


Jamais Vu

by rxplinewhxre



Category: GOT7, K.A.R.D (Band), Mamamoo, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Bisexual Male Character, Character Death, Dirty Jokes, Dirty Thoughts, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Female Characters, Female Homosexuality, Fluff and Angst, Future Fic, Gangs, Hallucinations, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Impregnation, Inspired by K-Drama | Korean Drama, Kidnapping, M/M, Major Character Injury, Male Homosexuality, Male-Female Friendship, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Nerdiness, Physical Abuse, Platonic Male/Male Relationships, Science Fiction, Shameless Smut, Swearing, Tattooed Jeon Jungkook, Tattooed Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Tattooed Kim Namjoon | RM, Tattooed Kim Seokjin | Jin, Tattooed Kim Taehyung | V, Tattooed Min Yoongi | Suga, Tattooed Park Jimin (BTS), Tattoos, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:33:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24740833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rxplinewhxre/pseuds/rxplinewhxre
Summary: A fucked up love story set in Busan, South Korea.The year is 2145, the streets shrouded in yellow dust from the rotting Earth. A researcher accidentally stumbles across a powerful man. He doesn't seem like much at first, but his aura is enough to make her soul quiver.Enough to flip her whole world upside down.
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook/Original Female Character(s), Jung Hoseok | J-Hope/Min Yoongi | Suga, Jung Wheein/Moon Byulyi | Moonbyul, Kim Namjoon | RM/Original Female Character(s), Kim Seokjin | Jin/Kim Yongsun | Solar, Kim Taehyung | V/Original Female Character(s), Kim Taehyung | V/Park Jimin, Kunpimook Bhuwakul | BamBam/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

The sound of the bell above the door chimed through the store as Yujin hurried to the front counter of the outdated newsagents. Hopping up, she slid across the counter till her hip bumped against the old cash register, the drawer opening to hit her sister in the stomach. By now, Hyejin should've been much wiser to her elder sister's antics yet continued to disregard the acts that made her victim to Yujin's relentless teasing and accidents.

"Ya, Yujin-ah! Why do you always do this to me!? " She hissed, rubbing her stomach. A pout pulled on her pink lips as she tried to alleviate the pain.

Yujin laughed evilly, grabbing a bar of chocolate off the side of the counter. "Maybe you should buy a new cash register, instead of this old shit," Yujin giggled around the chocolatey goodness and hit the top of the old iron cash register for good measure, only for it to pop open again. This time, Hyejin managed to jump out of the way, her green eyes narrowing accusatorily.

“You’re tryna kill me, I know it,” Hyejin huffed, pushing the drawer closed. “I’m gonna leave a note; if anything happens to me, it’s your fault.”

Yujin only laughed, toeing at the glass lid for the fridge. Finally managing to open it, she grabbed a bottle of strawberry milkshake. She sighed in disgust, her mood dampening. “Where’s the banana milk?”

Her sister gave her a blank stare, appearing with a spray bottle and a yellow square microfibre cloth. “Delivery’s Thursday. If your fat ass didn’t inhale six crates of that disgusting beverage within a month, we’d be a lot richer,” Yujin scoffed, sipping on the pink drink unhappily.

“Anyways,” she stuffed the chocolate wrapper into the bottle before discarding it in the bin behind the counter. “I’m closer to a breakthrough in my research. I’m going to the site to collect samples. I hope it’s not a waste of my damn time,” Yujin muttered the last part.

Hyejin didn’t know too much about what Yujin did at work; Quite honestly, she found everything about working in a lab boring. But, for Yujin’s sake, she listened with feigned excitement. “Don’t worry, I believe in you! Fighting! I know you’ll find something this time,” This piece of research into environmental pollution in their neighbourhood had been going on for the last year and a half, with Yujin failing to provide any solid findings to her boss the whole time. It was understandable why she’d be so worried. Hyejin didn’t want her sister to lose her job.

“What makes you so sure? I’ve found nothing so far,” Yujin pouted, her mood souring.

“Two things. One, you’re the smartest nerd I know; if anyone can figure this out, it’s you. Two, you haven’t been to the site the whole time. Maybe those dumbasses forgot something that you’ll find,” Hyejin scrubbed at the scuffs on the refrigerator. Yujin smiled at her fondly, Hyejin unaware of her gaze. Sometimes, her sister knew exactly what to say to make her feel better. “What time will you be home?” Yujin’s expression quickly returned to her signature cocky smirk.

“Not sure, but I wouldn’t advise waiting up. I’ll try to be home before dark. I won’t be able to see anything by that time anyway,” Yujin hopped off the counter, brushing off any imaginary dust from her clothes. Hyejin was a clean freak, it was doubtful she’d find a spec of any dirt.

Hyejin shoved Yujin’s satchel into her chest. “There’s a sandwich and two bottles of water in here. Try and be on time today.” Yujin couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corners of her lips. Her sister really was an angel sent from above.

“Sometimes I feel like you’re the unnie here,” Hyejin rolled her eyes and shoved Yujin towards the door.

“Shut the fuck up, please,” Hyejin pressed the back of her hand against her forehead, failing to hide the mixture of disappointment and amusement on her face.

Yujin giggled, pressing her lips to her baby sister’s cheek. She waved goodbye through the glass windows, before making her way to her designated sample site; Samsira Tunnels.

~

By the time she had reached the bridge overlooking the tunnels, the sun was beating down a furious heatwave, beads of sweat trailing down her spine. The humid air suffocated her as she walked past zooming cars, her fist tightened around the leather strap of her satchel. Even the minimal cold wisps of air from the ocean beside her wasn’t enough to cool her down in this heat.

“Doctor Son!” A voice called, drawing her attention away from the blue waves in the distance. A short brunette and a tall blonde greeted her at the steps leading down to the tunnels. “What took you so long? We’ve been waiting a while,” Yujin grit her teeth as she looked at her assistants. The two did more harm than good in her lab. It always made her wonder how they got to work at Butterfly Laboratories, but she wasn’t stupid enough to ignore the fact that they were daughters of influential men.

“My apologies,” She didn’t think she’d have to put on her false mask so quickly. There were few, if any, that knew about Yujin’s true personality and she liked to keep it that way. “I didn’t anticipate you arriving before me,” Ignoring them, she walked down the steps towards the tunnels.

The site was called Samsira Tunnels but looked much more like enormous pipes, going on till the edges of the blue line of ocean on the horizon. During the course of their limited use, the continued exposure of the sun and rain resulted in some of the pipes to have holes in their top surface, some looking like elongated graphite grey bagels with holes from roof to floor.

It looked more haunting in person.

Her task was to research the water affected by plants and organisms now growing within the pipes; and whether these organisms had any helpful or harmful characteristics. It was a pretty wide research topic but Yujin loved a challenge. Up close, the mouth of the pipes had to be at least twenty feet tall, towering above her 5’3” frame.

She didn’t bother checking whether the two airheads were following her, their presence confirmed with a muttered “fucking bitch” behind her. The first thing that Yujin noticed was the immense lack of water in this pipe. She didn’t want to speak to them any longer, but she had to ask.

“This is where you’ve been bringing me samples from?” Somehow, she managed to hide the annoyance in her tone. There was nowhere near enough water to collect a sample that could yield a significant result.

“Yeah, this is the one,” Lisa said, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder.

“There’s barely anything to take samples from here. Are you sure?” Yujin didn’t know how much longer she could hide her growing anxieties. If she didn’t get something this time, she was sure her job would be on the line.

Jisoo huffed, folding her arms. “We’ve been getting them from here, like, the whole time. Don’t you believe us?” _No, of course I fucking don’t_ , is what she wanted to say, but she gritted her teeth and gave them a small smile.

“Alright then, let’s go take a look.” Yujin refrained from the intense urge to massage her temples where a migraine was brewing. She could only hope that, for once, these girls weren’t lying to her; she’d had enough of observing tap water with insoluble grass traces under her microscope.

With every step she took, Yujin was losing the hope that she’d be able to find anything in this pipe. It didn’t help that there were almost a thousand pipes along the coast of Busan, fifty on this port alone. The faint sound of voices floated to her ears, but she brushed it off as the girls speaking behind her.

Turning around the bend in the pipe, Yujin was greeted by six pairs of eyes. The voices stopped, just as her anger skyrocketed. Yujin didn’t tend to lose her composure, that was more of a Hyejin thing to do. But this time, she couldn’t help herself. Her mind could only think of one thing, her vision blurring into red.

_My sample is contaminated._

~

For someone as intelligent as herself, Yujin truly did not have the words to explain the overwhelming anger that overtook her in that moment. The only thing she could comprehend was that these men had contaminated the site she was supposed to be taking samples from.

Small holes, possibly bullets holes, dotted the roof of the pipe allowing thin beams of sunlight to light up the area. There wasn’t much sunlight here, not enough for any plants to grow. There were a few weeds littered across the floor, but nothing out of the ordinary. Four of the six men were sat on a pile of old mattresses, the other two sat on crates, an empty pizza box sat on the crate in front of them.

“You okay there, sweetheart? You look lost,” A blonde man jumped up, gracefully landing at the foot of the mattress mountain. He maintained his distance, but his lips were so plump she could see them from where she stood.

“No, I’m not okay,” She muttered to herself, her fingers running through her hair in an attempt to cool herself down. “You need to leave,” She turned addressing the man. If she clenched her jaw any harder, she’d crack a tooth. “How long have you all been here?”

He tilted his head to the side, the action almost adorable, as he scanned her from head to toe. Yujin felt like a vein would burst in her big brain if he didn’t speak soon. With the elegance of a snake, he took two steps closer, a grin tugging at his lips as he uttered a single word.

“No.”

“No?” She squeaked; her brows furrowed. “What do you mean _no_?”

He turned on his heel, climbing up the mattresses with ease. “You look like a smart girl. Leave while I’m still being nice about it.”

Yujin’s eyebrow cocked up. The pretty boy had another thing coming if he thought she’d leave from a little warning like that. “Oi!” She took a step forward. Even though this was her sample site, it felt like she had stepped into the lion’s den. All of their eyes were trained on her as she continued to make her way further into the pipe. “This is my sample site. I don’t know how long you’ve been here, but you’ve definitely contaminated everything. Get out,” There was little hope she could salvage whatever was left, but the tiny voice of optimism in her willed her to try. “Leave while _I’m_ being nice.” She slipped off her satchel, resting it against the wall. The air in the pipe seemed to have shifted, and Yujin was aware of it.

“Doctor Son,” A voice hissed behind her. “What are you doing!? Let’s go!” Lisa’s legs trembled as she held up a pale Jisoo. Yujin had almost forgotten about them.

“No,” There was a finality in her tone as she stood her ground. “I’m leaving with my sample today, and that’s final. You can assist me,” She turned back to the men looking at her with mild amusement. “Or you can get out of my damn way.” Jisoo sobbed quietly, her knees giving out. Lisa dragged her friend away, muttering a “fuck you” in parting.

The pretty boy sighed loudly. “Why do people always do this to me?” He turned to a boy with longer curly black hair, the two looked like night and day side-by-side; the blonde protruded his bottom lip, making the other reveal a boxy grin. “Tae-Tae, I was nice this time, wasn’t I?”

The dark-haired boy chuckled, wrapping his arm around his friend. “It’s okay, Minnie. Some people just don’t like taking the easy way,” His gaze landed on Yujin suddenly, knocking the breath out of her.

She was still a woman, after all.

The man rivalled his friend with his other-worldly beauty. Yujin tried not to let her mouth fall open in surprise, but it was a feat. She shook her head to clear her thoughts as the blonde stood up on the mattresses, head tilted again. “It looks like you’re taking the hard way, huh, Doctor Son?” Yujin bit the inside of her cheek. The airheads must’ve said her name loud enough for them to hear.

“It doesn’t have to be,” She shrugged, pulling her hair up into a ponytail.

The blonde smiled, his eyes almost invisible behind crescent moons. “See? Now you’re getting it!”

“Let’s make this easier, _Minnie_ ,” She spat the nickname, rolling up the sleeves of her dress shirt. His smile fell instantly. “If I manage to land a single hit on all of you, you’ll agree to leave. Understood?”

“You’re in no place to be giving orders, Doc,” His friend grumbled, fluffing through his curls; his eyes pierced through her, breaking through her guard.

“I don’t have to be. This is the easy way. The hard way would be much worse, no?” She tilted her head, mirroring the blonde’s actions. He smirked, looking down at the two sat on the crates, their faces shrouded by the darkness. He seemed to have found the answer he was looking for if the way his grin widened meant anything.

“Sounds fair,” She didn’t realise the pretty boy’s voice could thicken like rich syrup. “But I’ll sit out for this one,” Yujin’s expression must’ve been laughable as she froze in confusion. “That’s one less for you to land a hit on, Doc. Have fun with the others.”

The curly haired boy jumped down, much less graceful than his best friend; he prowled forward like a panther eyeing his prey. Yujin swallowed her unease, getting into position; her hands raised before her face, clenched into fists to hide her trembling fingers. Hyejin was so much better at confrontations than she was, but she couldn’t rely on her sister right now. She was the one that taught Hyejin everything she knew now; it wasn’t the time to be forgetting what she taught her.

Pulling on some hidden inner strength, she focused her stare on ‘Tae-Tae’, readying herself for a rigorous battle.


	2. Chapter 2

Taehyung smirked as he took in his opponent. Her appearance made her out to be an average Korean girl, yet her eyes, aflame with purpose, told a different story. She seemed like a feisty little thing, her plump pouty lips stained red; it stirred something in his stomach as he watched her lift her balled fists before her face, blue veins popping ever so slightly along her slender forearms. Up close, her feline green eyes glowed in the shadows, drawing him closer.

He didn’t want to fight any more.

He lowered his own hands, a smirk tugging on his lips. “Doctor Son, if you were any more beautiful, I think I’d go into cardiac arrest,” A snort echoed from somewhere behind him, but he ignored it. He observed her perplexed expression as she took a step back. “Ah, but you’re not that kind of doctor, are you?” He scratched his chin, her eyes never leaving him. “A terrible shame,” He muttered, more to himself than to her.

Yujin was confounded at his behaviour. Did he not take her seriously because she was a woman? Or was this a tactic he was using to confuse her? Nevertheless, she didn’t intend to drop her guard; her career was on the line here. “Why are you dragging this out, _Tae-Tae_?” She grinned, her body jolting with a sudden burst of adrenaline. His eyes widened, smirk falling from his angelic face. “Let’s end this,” Surging forward, she lodged her fist in his stomach.

There was silence around them as Taehyung coughed, stumbling away from her. He hadn’t anticipated her to move so quickly, nor have such strength stored in her tiny body. The first thing he’d been taught was to never underestimate his opponent, yet that’s exactly what he’d done. “Didn’t you take an oath to ‘do no harm’?” He sputtered.

She shrugged, increasing the distance between them in case he retaliated. “I’m not that kind of doctor, remember?” He sighed, retreating with his hands raised in surrender, but the cheeky glint in his chocolate brown eyes never faded.

That was two down, who was next?

‘Tae-Tae’ had climbed up by now, laying his head in ‘Minnie’s’ lap. He grumbled about how his belly hurt, only for his best friend to coo at him and rub at his stomach through his clothes. The men looked between each other, arguing as to who would suffer the teeny woman’s wrath next. “Hyung?” the pretty blonde boy turned to the side to another man sat at the end of the mattress, fiddling with his phone.

He glanced up momentarily, locking eyes with Yujin before looking back down at his phone. “Yeah, no. I’d rather not involve myself with your petty peasant feuds,” He slicked back his dark hair, gnawing at his sensually thick lips. She didn’t care much for how quick he was in dismissing her, like she wasn’t worthy of his time. It didn’t matter how handsome these men were, they were incredibly irritating.

Peering over his shoulder, the pretty boy huffed in annoyance. “This hyung is asleep,” Of the ones sat on the mattresses, there was only one left. “Hobi hyung?” ‘Hobi’ pretended to not hear him, rifling through a fluorescent orange bag covered in different badges. “Hyung!” He jumped, dropping the bag from his hands.

He muttered curse words, baring his teeth at the pretty boy. The pretty boy only rolled his eyes, shooing him away. Behind the brightly accessorised man lay a pale blonde man, asleep and unaware of Yujin’s temper. ‘Hobi’ landed in a squat, elbows rested on his knees, his head tilted to one side as he appraised his opponent.

“Doctor Son,” His character seemed to have changed in the nanoseconds it took for him to touch the ground. His smirk didn’t suit his heart-shaped lips. “You’ve beaten four of us already, I’m impressed.”

“Please,” She scoffed, almost tempted to cross her arms in defence. “Three of them didn’t even bother to fight me. Are you all that scared to lose to a girl?” She raised an eyebrow, ignoring the glares directed her way.

‘Hobi’s’ laugh surprised her, the sound amplified in the pipes. It was the kind of laughter that made your soul crave warmth, connected to the nostalgic feeling of the wind running through your fingers as you stuck your hand out of the car window. His smile could outshine the sun. “You’re not wrong, huh, Doctor!” He grinned, his eyes crinkling into thin slits. Yujin fought to keep her smile hidden. “It’s a shame I’ll have to finish all of this.” He exhaled as he stood up, dusting off his olive cargo pants. He shook his head, his wavy cinnamon coloured bangs moving to clear his vision.

She bit the inside of her cheek, suppressing a smile. Although her situation could go south any moment, she was enjoying herself. She couldn’t remember any time recently where she’d been needlessly reckless like this. Light on his feet, ‘Hobi’ dodged Yujin’s first few attacks, his cocky smirk jeering at her silently. Slowly but surely, this human embodiment of sunshine was beginning to frustrate her. She had to take a step back to dodge the sharp movement of his arm towards her face.

Unlike Taehyung, Hoseok wasn’t distracted by Yujin’s beauty. He just wanted to finish this and watch the woman leave so he could go back to running his fingers through his sleeping boyfriend’s hair.

She focused her complete attention on him, his attacks concentrated in his fists in an attempt to land a hit on her. The wheels in her nerd brain spun rapidly, calculating whether her next move was a good idea or not. Her energy was draining fast, forcing her to decide quickly.

Yujin lunged forward, her fist snapping towards ‘Hobi’s’ cheek. As expected, he dodged to his left, giving her the opening she needed. The dodge was sure to offset his balance, giving her the perfect opportunity to crouch down and swing her right leg out to knock his legs out from beneath him.

Hoseok cried out as his bottom thudded on the ground. Dumbfounded by his loss, he sat for a moment, trying to process what had happened to him. His boisterous laughter shook his shoulders, his head falling back. Yujin bit into her bottom lip, concealing her smile. She held a hand out for him to grab. He chuckled, taking her hand gratefully, allowing her to pull him up. “I didn’t expect that! Wow, Doctor!” His energetic attitude was contagious.

“Thank you, _Hobi_ -ssi,” She said his name with more care, his mannerisms reminding her of a preteen Hyejin multiple years ago. “How many of you are left? I’m getting a little tired,” She whispered, making him lean in to hear her better.

“Ah, I think there’s just two left, Doc. I’ll be cheering for you, but don’t tell anyone.” Yujin nodded, failing to stamp out the warmth that burst in her chest when he giggled. Hobi walked away, jumping up the five or six mattresses stacked against the wall of the pipe, before crawling to the end to sit beside the sleeping man. He gave Yujin a quick thumbs up as she turned to the two hidden within the shadows.

Before Yujin could taunt them, one stood up and kicked the crate he was sat on against the wall, the ringing noise almost deafening in the enclosed space. With the scarce light, she could see black cargo pants tucked into black laced boots. Her new opponent raged towards her, catching her off guard. His black hair reached his chin, curtaining obscure eyes narrowed with a dark emotion, and pink lips downturned in a frown.

Rage fuelled Jeongguk the longer he sat, watching her hurt his brothers one after the other. He couldn’t care less what she wanted; she didn’t have to resort to violence to get it. If she wanted a fight, she’d get one. He wasn’t going to be pleasant about this either. His brothers had played nice with her and he wasn’t about to misjudge this woman any longer.

Yujin couldn’t lift her arms fast enough to block his attack as his boot clad foot connected firmly with her shoulder, flinging her several feet away. She winced, her vision going dark for a second. She hadn’t realised how tired she was, barely having eaten a proper breakfast that morning. Lifting herself up on her elbows, she shook her head to clear her blurry vision, a quiet ringing noise reverberated in her ears. His assault aimed at her face had her raising her arms in an x, his tattooed fist thudding against her forearms, pushing her back into the ground. Yujin rolled to her left, her dress shirt snagging on a discarded plank of wood. The sound of the fabric ripping didn’t comprehend in her mind as she attempted, but failed, to get back on her feet; her fatigue had immobilised her. He straddled her torso, pulling his fist back, ready to land the final blow.

A lighter clicked open to their left, drawing her attention to the last man. He lit the cigarette hanging between his lips, brown eyes meeting green. “That’s enough, Jeonggukie,” ‘Jeonggukie’s’ fist stopped centimetres away from Yujin’s face. He gritted his teeth, whipping his head around to the man who had stopped him.

“Hyung?” His tone and expression softened as he looked at the elder, confused at his orders. Yujin didn’t hesitate to take advantage of his distraction, lifting her knees to squeeze at his waist and flip them over. He yelped, his hair falling back to reveal his baby face, and multiple silver piercings along the lobes of his ears. Yujin held her own fist before his muscular chest, locking eyes with the angry boy, before tapping it against him.

“I win,” She panted. The pain in her shoulder registered in her mind gradually, but now wasn’t the time to let up. There was only one left, then she could collect her sample and go home to Hyejin’s cooking. Yujin staggered as she stood up. Focusing on the last man, she walked closer, making sure not to trip over anything. “Your turn, big boy. C’mon,” She lifted her hands, gesturing for him to come at her.

He took a long drag on his cigarette his brows furrowed as he blew the smoke away from her. The smell of the tobacco tugged at her quiescent habits, but she had no energy to act upon them. “I think that’s enough, Doctor Son. Go home,” He took another drag before throwing the cigarette to the floor, crushing it under the toe of his boot.

“You’re backing out too? I’ve won by default, right _Minnie_?” She turned to the pretty boy who watched the transaction like it was the most entertaining anime series he’d ever come across. ‘Jeonggukie’ squeezed between him and the man who still hadn’t stopped typing on his phone, his glare focused on Yujin with a hawk’s precision. “Are you scared to lose to a girl, like your friends did? I’ll try go easy on you, but I’m not making any promises.” She shrugged, barely quashing a whimper.

Namjoon had been watching the girl since she had stepped foot in his childhood hideout. It was a good thing she wasn’t aware of the guns that had been aimed in her direction before she even rounded the bend, otherwise he would’ve never seen her attempt at beating the most skilled men in hand-to-hand combat he’d ever met. He raised a brow in question, knowing she was trying to provoke him into an altercation he didn’t care waste energy on. In his peripheral vision, he saw Jeongguk curse, getting ready to hop down, only for a pale hand to grip his wrist and force him to sit. The continuous loud noises must’ve roused Yoongi from his sleep, meaning he would be a little grouchy for the next half an hour.

Yujin couldn’t be bothered with waiting for his response. It was fine if he didn’t want to fight; if she could just land one hit, she would win and get her sample site back. With the last bit of her energy, she threw a punch towards her final opponent.

He couldn’t lie and say that he had expected her to do that, however, he was thankful to his instincts. He gripped her fist, twirling her to twist her arm behind her back, pulling her back flush against his chest. Tucking the stray strands from her ponytail behind her ear, he chuckled as she tensed up. “Not so tough now, tiger.”

It was a struggle to ignore the feeling of his breath on her neck, and even more of a struggle to prevent her body from reacting to it. She wriggled in his grasp, trying not to hurt her shoulder further in her effort to escape. Stomping on his foot, he grunted, allowing her to barely slip from his grasp. It was a victory celebrated prematurely. He pushed her up against the wall of the pipe, his hand enclosing around her throat. Yujin whimpered, her eyes wide. The man before her could’ve been mistaken for a god many centuries ago. His caramel blonde hair was slicked back, his obsidian black eyes narrowed like an irate dragon’s.

Her cheeks were flushed from the thrashing she’d done in his arms, but the colour had deepened, making him smirk. The fire in her eyes never died, flaring for different reasons now, he presumed. Taking her in, he saw her legs covered in dirt and scratches, bruises forming in some parts. Her dress shirt had soaked in places where the dirt water from the pipe floor had splashed her. The shirt was no longer appropriate for wearing, with the Doctor’s left bra cup being completely visible. _This girl is something else_ , he thought, watching her acknowledge that she was in a vulnerable situation with her clothes being ripped, yet making no move to cover herself up. They were just boobs. At least, that’s what Yujin had told herself to not back down from this man’s stare.

“I’m going to let you go, only if you promise not to hurt anyone else,” He said.

“If it’s in self-defence, I’m not liable for what happens to you guys,” She teased.

Namjoon squeezed her throat a little, revelling in how her shoulders sagged in submission. Her body and her words were warring with each other, and he loved to see it. Her candy red lips pouted in defiance, drawing his gaze to them. God, she looked heavenly.

“O-Okay,” She murmured, her eyes wide, from fear or arousal he didn’t know. “Tell them not to touch me either.” He smirked at how quickly this woman’s personality could change.

“You have my word, tiger,” His dimples popped out, stunning her into silence. The Lord was testing her non-existent chastity today. His fingers slipped from her neck, her body missing the warmth already. She sighed, rubbing at her neck. “Jeongguk, give her your hoodie,” Jeongguk grumbled but did as told, his undershirt riding up his washboard abs a little. Yujin slipped on the hoodie quickly, thanking both the younger boy and the handsome dimpled man. “Doctor, if you don’t mind, I’d like to show you something.”

Yujin frowned yet followed behind him. They didn’t walk for long, stopping some feet before the other end of the pipe. He nodded at the wall, confusing her further. Stepping forward, she tried to make sense of what he was trying to show her. Her fingers ghosted along the surface finding aged engravings on the surface. Letters descended, like a code of some sort.

KNJ, KSJ, MYG, JHS, PJM, KTH and JJK.

“What is this? What does it mean?” She turned to him, her curiosity never dying.

“Kim. Nam. Joon,” He pointed to the first three letters. “That’s me.”


	3. Chapter 3

Yujin took a moment to process his words, tasting his name on her tongue. “Kim Namjoon?” The name prickled in the back of her mind, something familiar about it. She furrowed her brow in further confusion, rolling up the sleeves of Jeongguk’s oversized hoodie.

Namjoon cocked a brow, watching her fiddle with the youngest’s clothes. He didn’t know why he was irked by the tiny woman wearing that article of clothing, but he didn’t like it. Not one bit. “Didn’t know I’d like hearing my name so much,” he muttered to himself, smirking.

She tilted her head, lost in her thoughts. Who the hell had she stumbled across? They didn’t seem like a normal ragtag group of thugs; there was an air of experience around them, one that warned any sane person away from conflict concerning these men. She had to be crazy to have even had the idea of fighting them. Why had they carved their names into the sample area? What was the need to claim the area when it wasn’t theirs?

Realisation dawned on her.

The letters were their initials, God knows how long ago they’d marked their territory. Bile rose in Yujin’s throat, a sickly feeling overtaking her. She’d made a fool of herself, and she’d hurt some innocent men. Meeting Namjoon’s eyes was more of a mission with the shame coursing through her veins. His smirk fell as he watched her bottom lip tremble. Whirling on the heel of her scuffed sneakers, she ran back to where the rest of the guys were sat. They bickered between themselves, teasing the handsome man, his ears stained red at the tips in embarrassment.

Yujin bowed deeply, her fists shaking by her sides. The laughter died down slowly as they noticed her. “I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused you all,” She began, feeling tears sting the back of her eyes. They could’ve hurt her so badly, or worse. “I’m sorry for hurting any of you. Please forgive me for this misunderstanding,” Her honey brown hair curtained her face, few strands left in the ponytail.

“Doctor, it’s okay!” Hobi’s familiar voice rang out. She didn’t raise her head.

“I’m sorry,” she repeated, her eyes focused on the ground before her.

“Seriously, Doctor, it’s okay!” Minnie spoke, trying to soothe her but it did the opposite. It wasn’t okay. She wasn’t thinking properly and chose to attack innocent people. What would she do if they’d gotten seriously hurt? What if they chose to sue her or come after her later? Her pain constricted her chest, her breaths leaving her in short pants. Darkness clouded the corners of her vision, her guilt attempting to swallow her whole.

“Doctor Son,” Namjoon’s boots appeared before her. His large hands rested on her shoulders as he pushed her up gently. “It’s okay. You didn’t know,” He searched her eyes, making sure he’d put the message across. He hadn’t expected her to apologise so sincerely; it made his heart beat just a little faster.

“But, Namjoon–,” She started, her voice cracking a little. He shushed her with a little squeeze to her shoulders, secretly pleased by the way she visibly relaxed at his actions.

“It’s okay, Doc,” He smiled softly, the beads of tears on her lash line like diamonds surrounding emeralds. It took his breath away. “Trust me.”

Yujin tensed, her fingers frozen halfway into fists. She didn’t trust anyone besides her sister, and she never planned on changing that fact, yet she smiled at him and took a step out of his grasp. She opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by a new voice.

“I need to sleep,” The pale man that had slept through the entire ordeal, now sat up with a slouch, his white-blonde hair sticking up where Hobi had run his fingers through it. Even sitting down, he seemed quite small. His dark gaze whipped towards her, like he’d heard what she was thinking; he looked between his friend and Yujin narrowing his eyes further. “So, take your lovers quarrel somewhere else, Namjoon-ah.”

Namjoon scoffed, his cheeks dusted with a soft pink colour as he rolled his eyes. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans, a little pout appearing on his lips. “C’mon, hyung. Why’d you have to do that to me?” At that, Yujin cracked a grin, surprised to see that kind of expression on the self-confident man that had choked her earlier. The pale man grumbled, flopping back to rest his head in Hobi’s lap. “Come, Doctor,” Namjoon sighed. “I think I know which tunnel you’re looking for.” At that, she lit up like a child on Christmas morning, quickly following him out of the pipe. She waved gently to the rest of them, mouthing a ‘sorry’ in her departure.

The sun blinded her for a second, her arm flinging up to shield her eyes. She could only guess it was something past three o’clock. Other than the sound of her sneakers crunching on the gravelled ground, and cars racing along the bridge beside them, there was silence between them. It only took a few moments before they reached one of the smaller pipes, tall enough for her to walk comfortably, but Namjoon had to hunch over a little to not bang his head. In the tight space, it was quite difficult to focus on anything other than the physique of the man before her.

Her imagination was slowly flowing towards sinful thoughts; she couldn’t deny how well he filled out his denim jacket, muscular thighs bulging in his black jeans with every crouched step; long fingers traced along the sides of the metal, neatly manicured nails on a veined hand decorated with yellowed bruises. In the sunlight, his hair shimmered, his dark roots blooming golden strands. And, _goddamn that ass_.

“Doctor Son, are you listening?” He spoke softly, briefly glancing over his shoulder at the woman hungrily staring at his behind. He coughed, failing to mask his laughter. The tiny doctor looked up at him, alarmed at first before narrowing her eyes in defiance. “See something you like?” He thought he would be more of a gentleman but Hoseok and Taehyung were better at that than him.

Yujin scoffed, folding her arms across her body defensively. “I haven’t found my sample site yet, so no,” It was a weak comeback even to her own ears. “Please just keep going,” She muttered, wanting to drown in her own embarrassment, knowing how red her face must be. She willed her mind to turn to much more tame topics: like her useless assistants. A sigh breezed past her lips. After today, there was no way she could keep the two in her lab any longer. The COO would never drop the two airheads, with their fathers being key sponsors of the institution, even if letting them go would save the lab ample time and money. The best Yujin could hope for was another researcher who’d be willing to take them on as assistants.

They stepped out into the sunlight again, appearing at the mouth of another enormous pipe; only this one was slightly raised, scrap metal collected beneath it to lift it. Namjoon stretched up, his shirt riding up a little revealing a happy trail ending at the waistband of his jeans. This man had to get out of her way if Yujin was to think properly. “Th-This,” She stuttered meekly. He cocked his brow up, the corner of his mouth tilting up in amusement. Clearing her throat, she began again. “This is the sample site? You’re sure?”

He took off his denim jacket, brandishing an ivory V-neck shirt; four buttons along the centre of the neckline, all undone, revealed his honey-coloured toned chest. Her throat felt drier than sandpaper. “As far as I’m aware, Doctor, this is the place,” He dusted off the jacket, hooking it over his shoulder with two fingers. “There were some people in coats here a year or so ago, but no one since,” Yujin pinched the bridge of her nose, trying not to grit her teeth or punch something. It was obvious that she hadn’t received a proper sample since the day the project began, but still she couldn’t help the rage filtering through her veins slowly.

“Fuck, okay. Let’s get going then,” She rummaged through her satchel, pulling out a pair of clinical blue shoe covers, covering each foot after climbing into the lifted pipe. A hand around her ankle stopped her. She turned back, an awkward smile on her face. She’d forgotten to thank him for bringing her here, she should’ve been more considerate. “Ah! Thank you for bringing me here, Namjoon-ssi,” Yujin turned back but he stopped her once again. She frowned, turning back to him. His other hand was outstretched, his head tilted up to look at her.

“You don’t think I’m going to let you go in there alone, do you?” Now it was her turn to raise a brow, shocked at his forwardness.

“You think I can’t handle whatever’s down there? I thought I already proved I could handle myself to you and your friends,” He grinned, dimples popping on both cheeks, freezing her rational thoughts again.

“I didn’t say you couldn’t, Doc. I’m just curious as to what’s down there. Just like you,” Before she could make up some reason for him to leave, he threw his jacket up into her arms, lifting himself up with ease; his biceps swelled in the arms of his shirt, relaxing as quickly as they’d appeared.

“Okay, fine!” She sighed, exasperatedly. “Wear these,” She shoved a pair of shoe covers and his jacket into his chest with a force enough to make him stumble, convincing herself it wasn’t an excuse to feel his pectorals. Yujin grumbled under her breath, turning on her heel and scaling her way down the pipe. Her fingers pressed into the pipe, hoping to have something to grab onto if she slipped. Namjoon wasn’t too far behind her, giving her the space she needed to explore.

It felt like they’d been going down for as long as ten minutes, when in actual fact it must’ve been three. When her feet landed on solid horizontal ground, a squeak left her lips. Namjoon tried not to smile but it was difficult. Everything about the researcher was endearing to him. She took off into the pipe, leaving him to clamber behind her. He breathed out a laugh, following the end of her ponytail around the bend of the pipe.

Yujin didn’t know what she expected, but it certainly wasn’t this. The hole in the roof of the pipe was wide, giving enough sunlight to the hidden oasis. Water pooled about four to five inches off of the floor, weeds and unidentified fungi sprouting in unorganised places. Her eyes widened in awe, halted before the edge of the water, as if afraid to disturb the serenity of the area.

“This is the place, right Doc?” Namjoon whispered, leaning down to her ear as he towered behind her. She jumped a little, having forgotten about him momentarily. She exhaled deeply, her fists tightening around the strap of her satchel. Her heart thumped against her ribcage as she took everything in. Even though the pipe stank like wet gym socks, she couldn’t have been more delighted to find what she’d been looking for; her sample site.

She hummed in agreement, covering her hands with gloves made from the same clinical blue plastic as the shoe covers, and pulled out several test tubes and some long tweezers. Namjoon leaned against the pipe, allowing the doctor to do what she was good at, holding both the doctor’s satchel and his jacket in his arms.

Yujin took a tentative step forward, toeing at the water. A giggle escaped her lips as ripples erupted beneath her shoe. Her footsteps had little gap between them as she shuffled towards the centre of the pipe. Her hair shimmered in the light, her smile rivalling the sun around them. She squatted down, scooping up the water with a test tube, popping a traffic cone orange coloured rubber cork into it.

Namjoon grinned, watching her waddle forward like a duck, picking up the curled weeds with the tongs. An exasperated sigh left her lips, alerting him to observe her more closely. He knew she could pack quite a punch, but he seemed to forget she had small hands. Leaving the jacket and satchel on the floor, he stepped closer, taking the filled test tubes from her. She nodded in gratitude, proceeding to waddle across the pipe whenever something caught her attention.

He’d never smiled so much in his life.

~

The afternoon passed peacefully, the pipe filled with Yujin’s ramblings of hypotheses and knowledge as Namjoon kept asking her numerous questions about each of her findings. She never went into much detail, but she did say something about researching for any harmful things in the pipe water. The plus side was finding anything that could be used in medicine.

It had been peaceful. Other than his constant use of random terms of endearment at the end of each question, it would have been a pleasant afternoon. She appreciated his eagerness to ask about her work, she’d been in her element, but her face got warmer with every vocative used. First it was ‘sweetheart’, then ‘darling’, then ‘tiger’. ‘Babygirl’ had been where she drew the line.

“Do you really have to say all these things? Just say my name, goddamn it,” She slapped a gloved hand over her mouth at the outburst. She’d been losing her cool all day today, and it just seemed to be getting worse. Slowly, she peered over her shoulder at the walking tree that had accompanied her to the correct sample site.

“Well,” He shrugged, his hands filled with multiple test tubes. “You didn’t tell me your name, did you, Doctor Son?” She’d expected him to be pissed off, but he seemed to be more intrigued if anything. With the back of her hand, she brushed stray strands away from her clammy forehead.

She filled her chest with air as she stood up, shaking her legs to regulate her circulation. Her head tilted from side to side, clicking as she did. “Yujin,” She sighed out, turning to face him. The setting sun glowed a blood red colour, bathing the tiny woman in an almost sinister light. “Son Yujin.”

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Yujin-ssi,” He smiled, bowing his head ever so slightly. She pursed her lips and nodded. One by one, she took the test tubes off of him, slotting them into a steel test tube holder. It looked much fancier than the ones he’d used in high school.

“Likewise,” The snap of her gloves being tugged off of her hands echoed around them. “It’s getting dark, we should leave.”

“What, are you scared of the dark or something?” He scoffed, irritated that their time together seemed to be ending too quickly. He rewound their time together in his mind, wondering where he’d gone wrong for her to leave him so early.

“No, Namjoon-ssi, I can’t see in the dark. Staying here any longer is pointless,” She shrugged, slinging her satchel strap over her head and across her body.

His brows furrowed in confusion, scratching his forehead. “Can’t you use a torch or something?”

She smirked. “I’d rather have the sample grow with organic sunlight than artificial light from a torch,” And she really needed to be home soon before Hyejin started to spam her phone with texts. “Do you know the way out of here?”

Namjoon bit the inside of his cheek, holding back a defeated sigh. “Sure. Let’s go,” He picked up his jacket, throwing it over his shoulder as they walked further into the pipe.

~

Returning to the pipe where they’d first met, Namjoon lead her back in. Minnie had jumped down enthusiastically, running to greet the two. He wiggled his brows at his friend, who choked on his own oxygen, before turning to a slightly exhausted Yujin. “Doctor Son! Did you find your sample site?”

“Ah, yes I did…,” She trailed off. It wasn’t exactly polite if she continued to call him Minnie, since that must be something the boys called him. She’d only addressed him as such to taunt him. Now, the thought of being so rude to him made her sick to her stomach.

“Jimin, Doctor Son. You can call me Jimin,” He answered, like he’d read her mind. He grinned, his eyes creasing into crescent moons. She was doubtful he could see anything when he smiled so brightly.

“Yah, calling me Doctor Son is too formal, Jimin-ssi. Just call me Yujin,” At this, the pretty boy’s smile grew even more, as he chuckled. Yujin smiled, linking her arm through his as they made their way closer to the others.

When Namjoon first entered the tunnel, he noticed three of them had already disappeared. “Where did they all go?” Namjoon sat down on a crate, pushing a cigarette between his lips. His lighter flickered a couple of times before he held a steady flame before the butt of the cigarette.

“Jin hyung left as soon as you did. You know how noona has been ill recently,” Jeongguk said, putting down his cards. Namjoon puffed out a cloud of smoke, nodding slowly. Seokjin’s wife had been ill for the last couple of days. He’d noticed how unsettled he’d been, never letting go of his phone in case she needed him immediately. He should’ve never allowed him to meet up with them today.

“What about Yoongi hyung and Hobi hyung?” He flicked the ashes to the ground.

Jeongguk shuffled on his feet as Jimin and Yujin walked closer. The boy didn’t seem to be comfortable around the doctor yet. “They dropped Jin hyung off before going home.” He spoke, shuffling to the other side of Taehyung. Taehyung narrowed his eyes slightly, seeing how close his best friend was with the pretty doctor.

Yujin’s phone vibrated in her satchel, making her scramble to find it quickly. Hyejin had messaged repeatedly, wondering why she hadn’t called all day. She smiled, tapping out a quick reply, before pocketing her phone. “That’s my cue to leave,” The four of them walked her out of the pipe. “I apologise again for the trouble I caused you all today.”

“It’s okay, Yujin-ssi,” Namjoon spoke before the others could. She pursed her lips, hiding her smile.

“Okay then. I’ll be going now,” They waved at her as she made her way up the steps to the bridge, waving until she could no longer make out the four specs beneath her.

Namjoon sighed, stomping out the cigarette beneath his boot. “Taehyungie,” He turned to the boy with his curly black hair and dark eyes. “Let me know what you can find out about Son Yujin,” Taehyung’s specialty was gathering information on people. Electronic files were easy to access with Yoongi’s help but finding concrete information about one’s daily schedule and their likes/dislikes, things you can’t find from a digital biography, were things Taehyung could find out incredibly easily.

Taehyung was taken aback by the request. If Namjoon wanted him to look into the doctor, he must be interested in her. “Do we really need to look into her? She’s just a researcher. It’s not like she’s of any use or harm to us,” Taehyung tried to reason with his friend and boss. If anything, he was trying to divert his attention away from the girl he’d set his sights on first.

The look Namjoon gave him wasn’t pleasant. He didn’t seem like he was in any mood to be arguing with anyone. Taehyung knew not to push him when he got like this, but he couldn’t help it.

Kim Taehyung didn’t fall for just anybody.

“I’m just curious, Taehyung-ah,” Namjoon rubbed a hand over his face, before pushing his hair back off of his forehead. “If you’re unable to do this, I’ll ask Yoongi hyung-“

“No!” Taehyung cut him off quickly, his eyes widened in alarm. “I’ll do it. You don’t need to ask hyung, I’ll do it.”

Namjoon nodded, appeased for the moment. “Alright, let me know what you find.” With that the leader left. The other two weren’t too far behind him, Jeongguk hot on his heels. Jimin turned running backwards as he smiled encouragingly at his best friend.

“See you at home, Taehyungie!” Jimin yelled, lifting his thumbs up at him. He blew Taehyung a kiss, making him snicker. It was a small gesture, yet it lifted his mood incredibly.

With them all gone, Taehyung sighed, climbing the bridge steps in twos as he headed in the direction the doctor had gone. He only hoped he wasn’t too far behind.


	4. Chapter 4

As the sun set, there were only a handful of cars rushing home along the bridge. The number of pedestrians on the bridge had dwindled down to two or three and a small group taking pictures of the ocean. The sky shifted between hues of blues and orange, gracing them with a new canvas every day.

But, fuck, it was too hot.

Even as the sun set, the suffocating humidity seized the oxygen around Yujin. Her treasured breaths left her in short pants. It would only be a couple more streets before she reached home, she was sure she could ignore the dark spots appearing at the corners of her vision until she got home. It wasn’t too hard to ignore the beads of sweat collecting on her brow and racing down her back, nor was it too hard to ignore how dry her throat was; but as her knees wobbled, she couldn’t overlook her strength leaving her body.

Taehyung had kept his distance the past ten or twenty minutes, his hands in the pockets of his beige slacks as he followed behind the little Doctor. Mild boredom plagued him as he kept an eye on her through his peripheral vision, while taking in a photographer across the road, twisting the lens of his camera before the ocean. A soft sigh left Taehyung’s lips as he watched longingly at the man capturing the ocean’s waves dancing with the colours of the sky.

It seemed impossible to take another step. Her vision blacked out for a moment, her hands flinging out to grasp the railing of the bridge for support. Yujin tried to ignore how her head throbbed in every direction from a pain she couldn’t pinpoint. Her body had already gone through Jeongguk’s aggressive attack, she didn’t think she could survive until she got home. She fumbled, trying to find her phone in her pockets. Her furious tapping on the black screen only revealed that she’d forgotten to charge her phone last night; she was screwed.

Taehyung noticed a lack of movement in his line of sight, quickly turning back to the Doctor. He froze, keeping the required distance between the two of them. She rested her head on her arms, seemingly shaking her head. Taehyung couldn’t see that clearly from where he stood. To his horror, Yujin slid down to her knees.

It didn’t take him longer than two seconds to weigh the pros and cons of abandoning his surveillance task in favour of making sure the tiny Doctor was okay.

His footfalls thundered down the sidewalk, closing the gap between them before crouching before the Doctor. “Doctor Son?” Her eyes fluttered open quickly as she raised her head.

“Taehyung?” She croaked, making the poor boy’s heart throb.

“Are you okay? Is there something you need? How can I help?” He rambled, clenching and unclenching his fists, unsure of whether he was allowed to touch her without her explicit permission.

Taehyung was a good boy.

“Water,” Yujin could ignore her pride, for now, to ask for help to get home to her sister. “In my bag,” She waved feebly at her satchel a foot or so away from her. He spun on the balls of his feet, grabbing the bag with ease. He rifled through the bag, the repetitive clink of test tubes in their holders unified into the background noises surrounding them. At the bottom of her bag, he found a crumpled sandwich box with a sandwich still inside and two bottles of water. He unscrewed the cap of one, pushing the bottle towards her. She barely mustered the strength to lift her arm, forget to drink the water.

With few options left, he raised the bottle to her lips and held her head back to help her drink. The bottle was empty within seconds, her hand coming up to clutch at his wrist as she gulped at the bottle. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, life breathed back into her as she pulled away with a loud sigh, panting softly. Yujin rested her head back against the bridge railing, taking a moment to herself.

Hyejin was going to kill her if she found out.

Her eyes fluttered open, remembering she wasn’t alone. “Thank you…,” She bit the inside of her cheek, meeting the syrupy gaze of a very worried ‘Tae-Tae’. It’s not like she could call him that now after he helped her.

Noticing the pause in her words, Taehyung grabbed the strap of her satchel and slung it over his own shoulder before offering her a hand to help her up. “Ah, I don’t think we formally met, Doctor. I’m Kim Taehyung, at your service,” He grinned that same boxed grin that seemed so endearing to her, she barely noticed her irregular heartbeat.

She placed her much smaller hand in his, surprised by his strength as he pulled her up swiftly, almost bumping into his chest. Her flushed cheeks darkened a few shades as she took in his beauty in a clearer light. His curls tickled the corners of his eyes as he smiled back at her.

Yujin took a hurried step backwards, bumping her hip into the railing. Her eyes narrowed slightly, her hands balling into fists by her side. “Why are you here, Taehyung-ssi?” Her heart thudded against her ribcage, yet she felt no fear.

“Ah,” He rubbed the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly. “I was heading the same way, but I didn’t think it would be okay asking you to walk with me after what happened today.”

Shame gripped her heart as she bowed her head lightly. “I’d like to apologise for my actions; and for misjudging you again,” Taehyung’s eyes widened, his hands waved around franticly, reassuring her it was okay. His cheeks tinted a soft pink.

“I’d like to walk you home, if you don’t mind Yujin-ssi,” He smiled softly. She feared he could hear her heart racing if he took a step closer. She opened her mouth to respond, but he quickly interrupted her. “It’s okay if you don’t want me to! I’m not forcing you to walk with me or anything,” Now he was the one who seemed flustered. “I just want to make sure you get home safe.”

The concern that flickered through his eyes made Yujin smile softly. She nodded in agreement, taking a step towards home. “Okay, Taehyung-ssi. Let’s go.” He grinned, falling into step beside her.

The pair walked towards Yujin’s home, exchanging questions about each other. Neither was too trusting of the other, it seemed. Taehyung worked at the art gallery a couple of miles away from Butterfly Laboratories. When she asked how the group met, he chuckled and said he could hardly remember since it was so long ago. Whenever she asked him a question, he’d answer as concisely as he could before moving the conversation topic back to Yujin. He asked who she lived with, and she told him about her sister, but he noticed how she never mentioned any other family members.

Taehyung was known for making people warm up to him quickly with his friendly attitude. Even if they were still on guard, the continued small talk between people would eventually let something slip. It was human nature to be lulled into a false sense of security.

Yujin hadn’t realised how quickly they’d reached her home, her mind busy with answering the simple questions Taehyung had continued to probe her with. The faded basil green shutters of the store were down, indicating Hyejin had locked up for the night. She rounded the store, heading to the back. There was a gated alleyway leading to the rears of all the stores and homes along the road.

There was nothing out of the ordinary about the area where the Doctor lived. A stray cat lingered near the dumpsters, and two elderly women leaned against neighbouring balconies, one smoking as they spoke about their day. As they walked through the gate, a group of thugs caught his attention. They were at the opposite end of the alleyway, kicking about a ball. Their gaze lingered on the Doctor for a moment too long. Taehyung couldn’t dismiss their stares as a mere passing glance. He made a mental note of their faces, before following the Doctor towards the concrete slab stairs zigzagging once either way, leading to a simple locked screen door, the mesh a dark grey, making it harder to see through it. He kept his hand hovering behind the Doctor, just in case she felt faint again. He could tell the climb was taking its toll on her, her pace slowing as they reached the top. Taehyung waited for her to knock on the screen door, surprised that she had the energy to tap out a rhythm.

Taehyung heard the Doctor’s sister before she appeared, her feet shuffling across the floorboards. The screen door opened outwards, almost hitting him in the face. If it wasn’t for the reflexes he’d learned in his childhood, he’s sure his nose would’ve sliced clean off. He took a moment to observe the similarities between the two women, both with bright foreign green eyes. The Doctor’s sister had long black hair, not relatively straight nor curly, whereas the Doctor had mid-length brown hair with the odd blonde strand that shimmered in the sunlight.

Hyejin smiled softly, happy to know Yujin was home. Her tell was the stupid Super Mario theme she tapped out in seven notes every night when she arrived home. Even if she was in the store and it was open, Yujin would knock on the front door, rattling the glass a little. Her smile vanished as she lifted her gaze to the tall man behind her sister.

She didn’t care if he was obnoxiously handsome.

The second thing she noticed was that her sister’s clothes were stained, and she wasn’t wearing the shirt she’d left the store wearing this afternoon. Before her sister could utter up some excuse, Hyejin glared, her mind filling with multiple dangerous scenarios, but she couldn’t pinpoint which one could be the truth.

“What happened? I don’t want any bullshit stories, either,” She frowned, folding her arms. They hadn’t noticed the spatula in her hand before, but now she was capable of wielding it as a weapon. If he thought the Doctor was tiny, he should’ve seen her sister. Taehyung masked his shock, surprised by the way this small person seemed to scold the two like they were children. With the way her sister spoke to her, he could only deduce that the Doctor’s sister was older than her or that they were of a very similar age.

Yujin smiled softly, resting a hand on her sister’s head. “Later,” She ruffled the dark locks atop the crown of her head, making her sister swat her hand away. She shuffled past her sister, heading to her room. She needed to get out of these heavy clothes and get this dirt off of her.

Hyejin turned back to the oddly handsome man before her, narrowing her eyes at him again. She was tempted to send him about the way he came from, but she had questions, and he seemed to have answers. She knew getting answers out of her sister tonight would be like pulling teeth. Reluctantly, she stepped out of the doorway, silently allowing him into their home.

Yujin rested her satchel on her desk in front of the window, taking out the test tube stand and placing it on her dresser by the door. She pulled out some clothes ,making her way to the bathroom, spotting her sister and Taehyung walking into the kitchen across the living area. Sliding into the bathroom, she stripped quickly while the water warmed up. She held her tattered shirt in her hands, her sigh bouncing off the tiled walls. There was no way Hyejin would be able to fix this, but she knew her sister would try her best. It was their mother’s shirt that they wore for good luck.

Tears sprung to her eyes as the emotions of the day overwhelmed her. The water cascaded around her, warming up slowly. She scrubbed at her skin softly, going through the motions of cleaning herself. Whoever these guys were, were nothing like the thugs Yujin had crossed in her lifetime. They had been sweet to her afterwards and treated her with kindness regardless of how she’d treated them, but she couldn’t help but fear that they could try to blackmail her or something more sinister. If not for the annoyance flooding her system from bickering with her assistants, the air of confidence they held should’ve scared her witless.

Yujin hoped for once in her life, she didn’t have to regret following her heart over her mind.

~

An awkward silence grasped the kitchen area of the flat. Taehyung stood beside the sink with a glass of water in hand; Hyejin stood opposite him arms folded as she glowered at him. Her gaze wasn’t admiration or wonder like he was used to. It was like she was trying to pick him apart with her viridescent stare. He didn’t know why he was sweating suddenly, feeling like he was under the scrutiny of his lover’s parents.

“Who are you?” She finally spoke, startling the man for a second, his glass almost slipping between his fingers.

“Kim Taehyung.” He answered as straightforward as he could, his spine straightening as he stood to his full height. His mind couldn’t comprehend why he was suddenly so scared of this petite woman, to the extent that he needed to make himself look more significant. He felt like a pup trying to scare a lion.

She gave a half-nod, accepting his answer, but her glare never left his face. “How did you meet my sister?” Like her ‘guest’, Hyejin didn’t beat around the bush. She wanted answers and wanted them fast before her sister returned.

Taehyung couldn’t help but move the glass from hand to hand. “Yujin-ssi,” The Doctor’s sister cleared her throat, her eyes narrowing further. “I mean, Doctor Son,” She nodded firmly, folding her arms, the hem of her oversized black shirt fluttering with the movement. “She was looking for some sample site. I think she mistook ours as her sample site and got angry at us,” Hyejin’s eyes widened marginally hearing this, her arms falling to her sides. Taehyung couldn’t understand why his throat had dried up from exchanging a few sentences with the girl, but he was grateful for the water in his hands. Was he even supposed to mention the fight to the Doctor’s sister, or should he leave that for them to resolve? He honestly didn’t know, but right now, he wanted to get away from this scary little lady.

Before their conversation moved a single word forward, Yujin stepped into the kitchen, wearing an oversized white t-shirt with a wet circle on her chest where her wet hair rested. Her olive-green shorts reached above her knees, giving Taehyung the view of too much leg. He choked on his water, causing Hyejin’s head to whip back towards him, her glare ever-present against his skin.

Yujin, oblivious to the prior conversation, continued to towel dry her hair. She took a seat at the island, while Hyejin got up to ready their dinner. As the food warmed up, Hyejin rifled through the fridge, taking out some side dishes and placing them before her sister, she pulled out a knife from the knife block beside the fridge to cut up some chilli peppers. “Yujin-ah?” Yujin hummed in response, drumming her nails on the surface before her, impatiently waiting for her food, but Hyejin was used to her behaviour. “What happened today?” The sound of her fingers drumming down stopped abruptly.

“Nothing much,” She responded to her sister as she turned to give Taehyung a questioning look. He lifted his hands up in surrender, adamant that he wasn’t at fault. “I went to the wrong tunnel, and I ended up meeting these guys. We had a little disagreement, but everything’s good. I’ve got my samples,” Hyejin hummed, slicing thin ringlets of chilli peppers.

It still didn’t explain why she’d brought Taehyung with her.

Hyejin didn’t know why, but she felt like there were some parts of the story that her sister was intentionally omitting. She turned her head to the right where Taehyung still stood beside the sink. If anyone had answers, it was him.

Taehyung felt her eyes on him before he saw her, shivers scraping down his spine unpleasantly. Hyejin kept her gaze on him as she sliced the radish before her. The slice was so thin it was practically transparent. He didn’t have to guess what awaited him if he went against her. Somehow, he knew if he ever got into a fight with the Doctor’s sister, she wouldn’t be as lovely as Doctor Son was. Speaking of, Yujin was now looking at him too; with both sisters simultaneously staring at him, the poor boy crumbled under pressure.

“Yujin-ssi got into a fight with my friends and me. She said if she landed a single hit on all of us, she could take the tunnel,” Hyejin halted the cutting, turning around to face her sister and their guest. “Three of my friends chose not to fight, so she only had four of us to deal with,” As if that made it all better. “She forfeited at the end, in exchange for the location of her real sample site.”

This hadn’t been one of the scenarios she’d thought up at all. To say she was surprised was an understatement. She was torn between being impressed or mad at her reckless actions. Hyejin smiled, remembering the similar violent mischief the sisters would get up to when they were younger. Hyejin knew she had to reprimand her sister. It was pure luck that she’d come across some average looking guys and not some professional murderers. She pushed off the counter, walking to her sister. With a sigh, she rested her hand on her sister’s shoulder. What she didn’t expect to hear was Yujin wince and recoil from her touch.

Hyejin didn’t hesitate in pulling at the collar of her shirt. She cursed at the enormous purple bruise forming on her sister’s shoulder. She tugged up her shirt, her eyes wide as saucers; purple bruises littered her body, contrasting against her buttermilk skin.

Taehyung was too shocked by the bruises on the Doctor’s body to comprehend a nip-slip. “What the fuck are those?”

Hyejin ignored him and addressed her sister. “Yujin-ah, did you take your vitamins this morning?” Yujin knew she’d fucked up this time. She knew she’d done something unbelievably erroneous for her sister to speak in such a sinister tone.

She tugged her shirt down, folding her arms across her chest defensively. “I take them every morning,” She shrugged. It was no big deal; she didn’t know why Hyejin was causing such a fuss.

“Are you lying to me?” Hyejin grit her teeth, glaring at her sister. “Or did these fuckers hit you that hard?” Her gaze flickered to Taehyung, making him cringe away from her. The image of Yujin’s body covered in multiple bruises made Taehyung want to hurt someone. It looked like he’d have to have a talk with Jeongguk when he got home.

Yujin scoffed, outraged that her sister thought so little of her. “They barely got a hit on me.”

“Answer the fucking question, goddamn it,” Hyejin ran her fingers through her hair, the similarities between the sisters even more obvious with the mannerisms between them.

“Okay, fine. I forgot about it for a while,” She shrugged, picking at her fingernails.

“A while?” The Doctor’s sister looked as if she was about to have an aneurism. “How long is a fucking while, Yujin-ah?” Yujin didn’t respond, gnawing at her bottom lip. Taehyung felt like he should leave, but his feet wouldn’t cooperate with his brain. “How long?”

“Three weeks. Fuck!” The Doctor erupted, massaging her temples.

Hyejin didn’t speak for a few moments, trying to process how to politely call her sister the most stupid person to ever walk the face of the Earth. “Are you insane?”

Yujin laughed dryly. “I’m not gonna die from a couple bruises, Hyejin-ah.”

“Yes, you will,” Hyejin grumbled under her breath, clearly distressed by her sister. She turned to the cupboard beside the stove, rummaging around for something before appearing with a white bottle with a yellow cap. She rattled the bottle and handed her a pill. Taehyung had already filled up a new glass with water and placed it before Yujin, for which Hyejin gave him a thankful nod. “Eat it. No arguments. Now.”

Yujin rolled her eyes before downing the pill quickly. “See what I mean, Hyejin-ah? You’re definitely the unnie here, not me.”

Taehyung froze, his mind reeling. “Wait,” The sisters turned to him, almost forgetting he was there. “You’re telling me that Hyejin-ssi is younger than you?”

The Doctor’s brow furrowed for a moment. “Wait, how old are you?”

“I’m twenty-four.”

“She’s about two years younger than you,” Taehyung didn’t realise he needed help processing such a minor detail. Hyejin continued her grumbling as she left the kitchen. “If you don’t mind me asking, Yujin-ssi,” The Doctor turned on her stool to face him. “Why does Hyejin-ssi talk to you like that?”

“What? You mean talk down to me?” Taehyung nodded. The lack of honorifics had him baffled. “It’s true, I’m older than her, but I’ve never seen her as my younger sister. She’s my equal, my partner, my best friend. She’s my everything. So, I think it’s okay if she talks casually with me.” She ended with a half-shrug.

“Wow, noona, that’s such a cool thing to say,” Taehyung smiled. Son Yujin truly was something else.

“Ah, I did sound cool right now, didn’t I?” The Doctor pondered. “Wait, did you just call me noona?” She spun back to him. “You little shit, I’m not that old.” She slapped his arm playfully, making the boy laugh, his boxy grin showing once again making her heart tizzy.

Hyejin re-entered the kitchen, a frown appeared on her face. “So, why the hell are you here then?”

Yujin tutted at her. “Hyejin-ah, that’s not how we talk to guests.”

“I don’t have much patience, Taehyung-ssi.” The younger sister pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance.

Taehyung’s lips pressed into a thin line. “I live nearby. We were walking the same way. I kept my distance, but then she kinda- ow!” Taehyung rubbed his thigh, looking down at the doctor to see her shaking her head ever so slightly.

“Kinda what, Taehyung-ssi?” Hyejin’s eyes were contracted into thin slits of pure rage.

Unfortunately for the Doctor, Taehyung was more scared of her sister than her. “She kinda…collapsed,” He spoke softly, almost phrasing his words like a question.

“Dear God, it’s like you’re _trying_ to put me in an early grave, Yujin-ah.” Hyejin leaned against the fridge for support.

Yujin snorted. “No, I’m not. You need to worry less. You’re gonna get frown lines.”

“You need to stop worrying me so much,” Yujin’s stomach rumbled before she could continue ranting at her. Hyejin sighed and began plating the food onto the island.

Taehyung realised quite quickly that there was just about enough food for the two sisters. He wasn’t an unwelcome guest, at least not for Yujin, but he was an unannounced guest. Now was a better time than any to excuse himself and go home.

“I think I’ll take my leave now,” He cleared his throat, brushing imaginary dirt off of his shirt.

“You should stay for dinner,” Yujin asked, a pout pulling at her full lips.

“I’ll return some other day, noona,” He smiled softly. He nodded at Hyejin, who nodded back, leading him out of the flat.

The screen door swung closed behind them as they stepped out into the warm evening air. It was silent for a few moments as they watched the remnants of rays from the setting sun battle against the darkness of the oncoming night. Hyejin sighed beside him, drawing his attention to her.

“I’m sorry for how I treated you, Taehyung-ssi,” She started, leaning on the stone wall of the stairs. He wanted to interject, but something told him she needed to let this out, so he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the wall beside her. “In all honesty, I should be thanking you for bringing my sister home safely,” Hyejin sighed again, inhaling the night air deeply, her green eyes fluttering closed. “She has a vitamin K deficiency, so she can get hurt more severely compared to the average person. Those bruises could mess up her liver or her intestines really badly,” She shook her head, smiling to herself. “I don’t know much about the technicality of it all, and Yujin-ah won’t tell me. I’m grateful that you brought her back home,” She opened her eyes, turning back to him quickly. This was the first time he’d seen her eyes properly. Where Yujin’s eyes were a deep shamrock green with golden flecks mirroring little sunbeams, Hyejin’s eyes were more like the ferns that used to grow in the grounds of his high school, swirling with splashes of blueberries. “If there’s anything I can do to repay you, please let me know.”

He blinked rapidly out of his daze. “It’s okay. You don’t need to repay me, Hyejin-ssi,” He smiled at her, stepping past her to leave. A tug at the back of his shirt stopped him in his tracks. He turned on his heel with a brow raised in question.

“You know the way here now. You can stop by sometimes. I think unnie would like that,” Hyejin notes the way the colour tints the boy’s cheeks, knowing she’s hit the nail on the head.

“I’ll take you up on your offer one day, Hyejin-ssi.” Taehyung smiled brightly at her, drawing a smile from her too. They exchanged farewells, Hyejin watching him walk down the stairs. They waved once more before Hyejin retreated back inside.

Taehyung sighed, his mind clearing as he stepped away. He had no idea where to begin, but he knew these two women spelt trouble. Even an idiot could notice that. It seemed as though they were more than capable of looking after themselves. The thugs from earlier had disappeared, but for some reason, Taehyung could sense that they weren’t too far.

He’d have to do something about them when he got the chance.


End file.
